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Mikami: Vulnerability And Uncertainty Is Critical In Horror

It's that creeping sensation at the base of your spine. It's what makes you cringe before there's anything to cringe about.

It's uncertainty, and it's critical for any horror experience. Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami knows this, and as he recently told The Guardian, there's plenty of uncertainty in his new game, The Horror Within.

The idea is to create situations where players actually care whether or not their virtual character lives or dies. Said Mikami:

"I'm interested in vulnerable characters, in normal human beings. The horror experience is most scary when the player really isn't sure whether their character is going to live or die--death and survival need to be on a constant see-saw. If there's a situation where you're not 100% sure that you can avoid or defeat the enemies, if you feel maybe there's a chance you'll make it--that's where horror lies. Creating that situation is vital."

Mikami also isn't interested in producing a game that caters to the run 'n gun crowd. He doesn't want players just standing there, pumping out round after round, mowing enemies down by the dozens. "I don't have the energy for that," he said. Rather, he's more interested in the psychology of fear, and how different individuals have different triggers. Oh great, so he did more studying on how to terrify people.

Guess we won't be getting much sleep when The Evil Within arrives on October 14.